


A World Of Ice and Fire

by esm3rald



Series: Female Harry Potter in Westeros [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Circle of Stones, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Female Harry, Female Harry Potter, Female Harry Potter is not Lily and James' Potter daughter, Gemma Arterton as Hermione Granger (Princess Tamina Style), Goblin-made Steel is the same as Valyrian Steel, Harry Potter is not the Chosen One, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter Friendship, Hermione Granger as Doran & Elia & Oberyn's Sister, Hermione Granger is a Princess of Dorne, Hermione Granger is adopted, Hermione Granger is not a Granger, Hermione born in August 1980 instead of September 1979, History tends to repeat itself - or at least some things just happen, House Potter is a House in Westeros, House Targaryen stays in power, Jon Snow is a Stark, Jon Snow is actually Jon Stark, Jon as the Heir of Winterfell, Just a different dragon, Neville Longbottom is the Chosen One, Portals to Another World, Rhaella Targaryen doesn't have a miscarriage in 263 AC, Rhaella Targaryen gives birth to another Targaryen Prince in 263 AC, Still a wolf and a dragon that sparks the rebellion, The Rebellion still happens but things turn out differently, You Can't Fight Fate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-01-09 09:52:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12273984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esm3rald/pseuds/esm3rald
Summary: Aly Potter begins her fourth year at Hogwarts with the summer events weighting on her shoulders. First the revelation at Gringotts, then the Death Eaters' attack at the World Cup. When she's chosen as the 4th Champion for the Triwizard Tournament, she knows this year will be awful. She just didn't expect to end up in another world during the first task with a dragon in tow. Rhaegar/FemHarry.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I know that I shouldn't start another story but I was reading 'Phoenix Queen' by Sereven and 'On Dead Wings' by Tsume Yuki and this idea came to me (but don't worry this story will be very different from theirs). Yes, this will be a Rhaegar/FemHarry story. Also NO RHAEGAR/LYANNA or RHAEGAR/ELIA.
> 
> Jon will still be in this story (eventually) but not as Rhaegar and Lyanna's son but as Ned's legitimate son and heir to Winterfell so Jon Stark. Also, eventually Jon/Daenerys.
> 
> I will take some liberties with the GOT/Song of Ice and Fire universe, especially about Essos, its cities and different cultures. If there's something that you find different from Canon it's because I changed it to fit the story, okay? Also there may be some slight differences from HP Canon but nothing drastic.
> 
> One thing that I changed is this: Daeron Targaryen (son of Aegon V and brother of Jaehaerys II) was homosexual in Canon. In this story he wasn't. He was supposed to marry Olenna Redwyne but after his siblings broke their own betrothals, he did the same. In Canon, he did because he preferred the company of men, in this story because he fell in love with and married a noblewoman from Lys, the only descendant left of House Belaerys.(Though we don't have confirmation, we can presume from the mention of Jaenara Belaerys who was a Dragonrider that House Belaerys was one of the Valyrian noble families together with House Targaryen and many others which we don't know the names of).
> 
> This story will start during the summer before Fourth Year in the Harry Potter universe so I'll probably spend a few chapters there and then jump to the GOT world, in Essos first. It will be a little while before FemHarry and Rhaegar meet. FemHarry will be 13 when the story starts (in this story Hogwarts students start their first year when they’re 10 instead of 11) but she and Rhaegar won't meet until she's 18. It may seem like a lot of time but there's a reason for that. FemHarry needs to establishes herself in this new world and find her place in it (and grow in power and prestige too) before she meets Rhaegar otherwise Rhaegar, though a good man, would have all the power in the relationship once he becomes her husband and FemHarry would never allow that to happen. That's why I'll spend so much time focusing on her story in Essos. I also know that 18 years old at that time can seem 'old' but, after all, Elia Martell married Rhaegar when she was past twenty so I think it's all right.
> 
> I don't want to reveal too much and spoil the surprise but I have to explain some things: there's a House Potter in the ASOIAF Canon world, or at least there's a character mentioned by Brienne, a knight, who has the surname Potter (Ser Robin Potter) so it's possible to presume that House Potter does exist in Canon. Of this House we don't know anything else so everything you will see in this story about this House is completely made up to fit my story except for the two Castles that will be mentioned later on: Dunstonbury and Whitegrove, which – according to Wikipedia – are two castles that King Daeron II Targaryen stripped from House Peake after the First Blackfyre Rebellion and gave to some other House (or Houses), we don't know which one(s).
> 
> Also, FemHarry is not a horcrux in this story. FemHarry's name is Aly short for Alyssa btw.
> 
> I also decided to add Hermione (who will be a Princess of Dorne in this story, sister of Doran, Elia and Oberyn - this means that she's from GOT world like Aly, I'll explain how later on. She also looks like Gemma Arterton in Prince of Persia and not like Emma Watson) and Sirius (that I imagine looks like Aragorn in Lord of the Rings movies) to the story, in the sense that both of them will arrive in the GOT world but not at the same time as FemHarry/Aly. Also Jaime/Hermione (eventually, like a long time from now and I'm going with the date of birth from the TV show for Jaime so 261 AC) and Sirius/Jaenys (as in, FemHarry's biological mother). Hope you're okay with it.
> 
> Hope you like my story! Read and review!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own the 'Harry Potter' series by JK Rowling or the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series or the TV Show 'Game of Thrones' inspired by it. I also don't make money by writing this story.

**Prologue**

_31 July 1993_

Aly knew that she wasn't supposed to go further than the neighbourhood around Privet Drive, let alone catch the Knight Bus and go to Diagon Alley on her own. However, when one receives a letter of summon from Gringotts, you go. After all, Aly had never been one for following rules and she was sure she could sneak in and out of the magical street without anyone being the wiser. Years with the Dursleys taught her how to be invisible when she wanted to and she didn't even need her invisibility cloak to disappear.

After an extremely uncomfortable ride on the back of the bus, hood over her head to cover her forehead and sunglasses to cover her eye colour, she entered the Leaky Cauldron. Fortunately the pub was still mostly empty, probably due to the early hour of the morning.

She passed the counter without Tom seeing her and went to the back. She used her wand to open the passage in the wall and there it was, Diagon Alley in all its glory and there, just a little further away, the white building gleaming in the morning sunlight.

She walked quickly, making sure nobody was paying particular attention to her and went past the high, golden doors until she was standing in front of the counter, a scowling goblin behind it.

"Good morning." Aly said cheerfully. "I received a letter from Gringotts yesterday, stating that I had to come here for some business regarding my Account?"

The goblin glared at her suspiciously. "The letter, please?"

"Yes, of course." Aly gave him the letter and the goblin studied it for a few seconds before turning his attention to her once again.

"Right this way Miss."

Aly was glad he hadn't said her name aloud because, though there were only two other customers inside the bank, it was better if nobody knew she was there.

The goblin guided her towards a heavy iron door. He knocked once and waited. The door opened a few seconds later. The goblin turned towards her and with a clawed hand, he motioned for her to come inside.

"Good morning, Miss Potter." The goblin inside the room said, sitting behind a dark oak desk. "I'm Ragnok. I'm the Potter House account manager. Please, sit."

Aly did and looked at him expectantly.

"You'd be wondering why you were summoned here, I imagine."

"Yes, the letter did not say."

"This may be difficult to explain but I'll try. You see, a little less than fourteen years ago a man showed up at our bank in the middle of the night with an incredible tale to tell. He stated that he came from another world, very different and yet somehow similar to this one, with three continents very unlike the ones we know.

As you may well imagine, it was very hard to believe him but this man had proof. You see, he had a necklace with him, a necklace that disappeared for 70 years without trace, together with the heir to the Potter family at the time and his younger brother."

"Wait, what?" Aly was getting more and more confused. "I thought my grandfather was the heir to the Potter family and then my father after me."

"Your grandfather became the heir and then the Head of the Potter family after the disappearance of Markos and Darien Potter in 1910. Markos was 16 at the time and his brother only 14. It was all a great mystery, unexplainable. One day they were there, at home like they were supposed to be and the next they were just gone."

"What about this necklace then? What is the significance of it?"

"The necklace was special because it was an object given to the heir at age thirteen from the Head of the House and it depicted the House Potter sigil. It wasn't only a symbol of the House however, beside it being extremely valuable, it was also a magical object. You see, it was imbued with very powerful magic and it served as both a portkey and a tracking device. It was a way for the Head of the Family to know where the Heir was at all times so that, in case of danger, he would know where to find him and save him, no matter how powerful the wards he was behind were. And yet, when Markos and Darien disappeared and the Head of House tried to find him by using the necklace, he couldn't find it either. It seemed that both the brothers and the necklace vanished from the face of the earth."

"Okay, so you're saying that this man, who showed up 70 years later had this necklace with him. Couldn't he have simply stolen it?"

"The necklace is spelled so that it always returns to his or her legitimate owner. It can't be lost or stolen. Moreover, we had a blood test made because this man affirmed that he was the grandchild of Markos Potter and the blood test confirmed it to be true."

Aly gasped, feeling her heart beating fast inside her chest. Did that mean that she still had family somewhere, someone else beside the Dursleys or Sirius?

"Where is he now?" She asked, voice trembling.

Ragnok looked at her squarely in the eyes for a long minute before replying. "Unfortunately he died, a few months after showing up here, from injuries he had acquired in this other world."

"So, you really think this other world really exists?"

"It's not possible to say for certain but I wouldn't rule it out either. It would explain why the necklace couldn't be found when it doesn't exist magic capable of hiding it."

"Okay, this is all very fascinating but what this had to do with me? I mean, I would have loved to meet him but since he died…"

"When Leydon Potter – that was his name by the way – showed up, he wasn't alone, he was carrying a baby with him…a little girl, a child only a few months old."

A feeling of dread made its way inside her at those words, like her heart already knew what the goblin was about to say even before her head knew it.

"No, no…it's not possible. My parents are James and Lily Potter."

The goblin ignored her words and continued. "After we established his identity, his next of kin were called, Lily and James Potter. Leydon begged them to take care of the child like she was their own because he knew he wasn't long for this world. So, James and Lily did, even going as far as performing a blood adoption right here in this very room."

Aly kept shaking her head, her hands on her lap trembling uncontrollably. She got up from her seat and started pacing the room, trying to calm down.

All her life, her whole identity, everything was a lie!

"Your father…" At the goblin's world, she turned her head around sharply, glaring at him. "Leydon," the goblin amended, "left you this," and with that he took from a desk drawer the necklace and a leather-bound journal plus a huge leather duffle bag from under the desk.

Aly made her way slowly towards the desk and look at the objects in front of her. The bag was so high and large that it covered the goblin's figure and almost covered the entirety of the desk's surface.

She inspected the necklace first. The chain was in white gold as well as the pendant, encasing a circular, purple gem she didn't recognize as big as a 50p coin. At its centre small diamonds formed the figure of a phoenix, wings spread, and other small diamonds were all around the stone forming the frame. In the back was inscribed: "Together We Will Rise."

Aly could feel the magic in it, pulsing hot just underneath the surface. It was beautiful.

"Do you know what this purple stone is?" Aly asked the goblin.

"Purple diamond. Very rare and very valuable."

Aly opened her mouth in shock at the goblin's words and then closed it with a smack.

She took the bag next and checked inside. Then she gasped at the contents. Inside there was an incredible number of diamonds and precious gems, sparkling in all the colors of the rainbow. They were so many they could probably fill a jewelry vault. The content of the bag must have been worth millions if not billions all together.

"Is all this mine?" Aly shook her head. She had no idea what the hell was she supposed to do with so many gems.

"Leydon left it all to you." The goblin said in reply. "We waited until your 13th birthday to give them to you just like he wanted. He wanted you to be taken care of even if he couldn't be there to take care of you himself."

Aly felt tears filling her eyes at his words, though she didn't know why since this Leydon, though her biological father, was still very much a stranger to her.

She tried to compose herself and checked the journal next. The pages were yellow and obviously old, probably parchment like the ones she used at school. They were all filled with the same elegant calligraphy, an entrance for every day though the years were unrecognizable to her. The first one was the year 255 AC, whatever that meant, while the last one was the year 261 AC. She skimmed through it and caught words such as Lys, Myr, Volantis, Essos, Dothraki, Unsullied. Words completely unrecognizable to her. She decided to start reading it as soon as she would return home.

Aly took a deep breath and closed the journal before looking at the goblin. "Is that all? Or do you have any other devastating revelations you want to throw at me?"

The goblin almost smiled, though on his face it looked like a snarl. "There is one last thing."

Aly tried not to groan aloud but she was afraid the look on her face said it all. "Go ahead then."

"You may not be aware of this but the Potters are descendants of Godric Gryffindor."

Aly widened her eyes at that. "Really?"

Ragnok nodded. "Yes. It's a relation that began when Ignotus Peverell's son married one of Godric Gryffindor's female descendants. Though the relation is obviously distant, your family is still the only one who can claim such a connection with this Hogwarts' founder. Moreover, as the last Potter, the sword of Gryffindor, which you found during your second year, rightfully belongs to you. You can choose to let the school keep it or you can claim it for yourself. And don't worry about the Headmaster or the Ministry because your claim is irrefutable."

Aly thought about it for a moment but in the end she decided that the sword should stay in the school. She could always decide to take it later, maybe once she would finish her school years. The goblin agreed with her, saying that Hogwarts was the most secure place at the moment, given the current uncertain climate because of Voldemort.

"Is that all, then?"

"Yes, Miss Potter." Ragnok replied. "You may go if you wish."

She didn't waste any time at the goblin's words, she put the bag over her shoulder with the journal inside, medallion on her neck and then she was leaving Gringotts and soon after the Leaky Cauldron behind. The pub was full now and it was easy to pass by undetected. She called the Knight Bus once again and returned to number 4 Privet Drive, still reeling from today's revelations.


	2. Chapter 1

****

**Chapter 1**

 

 _3rd_   _Day of the 5th_   _Moon, Year 255 AC_

 

_I begin my journey across Essos with a heavy heart. Father was gravely ill for three moons before he finally succumbed, seven days ago now. I feel I should probably postpone my travels for a few moons still but I can already see my brother resenting my presence here._

_I understand his position, of course. I've left him Whitegrove and the lands that surrounds it to look after, responsibility that should have been mine. Instead I'm running away on a journey that will bring me very far from home and with no certainty that I will ever return._

_But I never wanted to be the heir of House Potter. I've never traveled further than the Reach during the twenty namedays that I've been alive. What I want is to see the world and what it has to offer. See what is there, beyond this castle, beyond this continent. I want to visit the Free cities and Slaver's Bay, Qarth and the remains of the Kingdom of Sarnor. Taste their exotic fruits and meet their beautiful women, learn their different languages and their different ways of fighting._

_Father couldn't allow for me to be absent for so long, not with so many responsibilities waiting for me. So, I had to choose. And I chose freedom. I am sure my brother will be a much better Lord that I could ever hope to be. And I hope he will forgive me, eventually. I know he had aspirations of his own he will have to give up._

Aly read voraciously page after page of the journal Leydon Potter left her. She figured out quick enough that 'namedays' were birthdays and 'moons' were the months. The Reach was obviously a region and Essos was obviously a Continent but not the one Leydon was born in.

It was obviously some kind of Medieval world not so dissimilar from the one she had learned about in Muggle School; at least Westeros was – as she found out after a few pages Leydon's home Continent was called.

She learned of the Nine Free Cities: Braavos , Pentos, Myr, Tyrosh, Lys, Volantis, Qohor, Norvos and Lorath. The cities sounded very exotic, with people dressing in colourful clothes, with food served with spices and where slavery was ever present, no matter how they were called.

Westeros was a Monarchy that, at one point, had been divided into Seven Kingdoms, ruled by seven different monarchs until Aegon Targaryen and his two sister/wives had conquered it and unified it. The years were in fact divided into before and after the Conquest, like with the Christian calendar that was divided into before and after the Birth of Jesus. The Targaryens were famous for having and controlling dragons, or at least it was like that until a century ago when the last dragon became extinct. It was, in fact, thanks to three dragons that Aegon and his wives had conquered the western continent.

The Targaryens were obviously magical in some way to be able to control dragons and magic was ever present in one way or another in both Essos and Westeros. In Westeros it was mostly present in the North, with myths of the Children of the Forest, White Walkers, Wargs and Greenseers. In Essos there was Qohor, also known as the City of Sorcerers, where dark magic was practiced liberally. In Qarth too, there were sorcerers and magical had also been Valyria before being destroyed by what was probably a volcanic eruption. There was no muggle vs magical world and nobody used wands like in her world but it was still reassuring to know that magic existed in this different world too.

Now the Realm was divided into Regions, all with a different Lord that governed it. In the North there were the Starks, in the Riverlands the Tullys, in the Vale the Arryns, in the Westerlands the Lannisters, in the Stormlands the Baratheons and in the Reach the Tyrells. House Potter was one of the Tyrells' Bannermen and was created by Markos and Darien Potter in 196 AC, as a reward for their courage in battle during the First Blackfyre Rebellion - House Blackfyre was a bastard branch of the Targaryen family. The two brothers had been knighted and given a castle each, taken away from House Peake that had sided with the Blackfyres. Markos, the oldest, got Whitegrove while Darien, the youngest, got Dunstanbury.

It was fascinating and Leydon sounded like a scholar, detailing everything that he'd seen and done, recounting the story and events of both Westeros and Essos, everything that was worth mentioning and also things that were trivial like myths and legends. Not only in writing but often with sketches to better detail all that he was recounting.

Aly spent every moment she was free of the chores the Dursleys had assigned her reading about this amazing world, believing more and more that Leydon had told the truth. How could it be explained otherwise? Or he had a really incredible imagination or it was simply real.

* * *

 

 _14th_   _Day of the 2nd_   _Moon, Year 259 AC_

 

_I've met the most incredible woman today. Not only she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, she's also the daughter of Daeron Targaryen, younger brother of King Jaeherys II. A Targaryen, the niece of a King moreover, here in Lys, seems incredible to believe._

_I knew, of course, that Daeron Targaryen had married a noblewoman from Lys after breaking his betrothal with Lady Olenna Redwyne and that, after he had died eight years ago, Lady Jaenerya Belaerys Targaryen and her daughter Jaenys had left King's Landing, however I've never thought much about where they had gone until I arrived in Lys and met its noble families. Lady Jaenerya is the typical Valyrian beauty, with shiny white blonde hair and incredible violet eyes and her daughter has inherited her mother's beauty and more._

_I intend on courting her and once I hope I'll obtain her mother's blessing, I'll ask Jaenys to be my wife. I know that she is a little young, only thirteen namedays, but her mother assures me she has already flowered and the suitors around her, like it is to be expected, are rather numerous. I'm also aware that I can't offer her a castle yet but only the mansion I bought in Lys with what I've obtained with my wine trade. I imagine my father would be horrified if he knew I've become no better than a merchant and though it pains me, knowing that I would have disappointed him, I can't say I regret it. There's something almost noble in selling something that you worked for and produced with your own hands._

It was the night after the events at the World Cup and Aly was once again reading Leydon's journal, this time more as a way to distract herself from the events of last night. The Match itself had been amazing, of course, a dream come true for a Quidditch fan like herself but the events that happened after…Of course she had come face to face with Voldemort twice since she started Hogwarts – excluding the night of Halloween 1981 of course – but seeing those people in masks, attacking and torturing muggles just for fun, and then that mysterious man, summoning the Dark Mark, it all made Voldemort's threat all the more real. She thought she had an idea of what the Wizarding War had been like but the truth was, she had no idea.

So, here she was, at the Weasleys, unable to fall asleep, afraid of the nightmares that were sure to come.

It was almost endearing, reading of her father falling in love with her mother, though she couldn't pretend not to be disturbed by how young her mother had been when she had married her father. She knew that it was something that happened rather often in both Westeros and Essos but it was still a little too much for her modern sensibilities. 13 years old, as young as her. She couldn't imagine be married at this age.

The journal continued to narrate the courting, then the marriage – fortunately he hadn't gone into details about the wedding night – then the two of them deciding to leave Lys and visit first Norvos and then Qohor and then the remains of the Kingdom of Sarnor with its only remaining city, Saath. It was there that they found out that Jaenys was expecting and there that they decided to stay. Leydon found an abandoned castle made in pure white marble on a hill overlooking the harbor city and decided to sell his old mansion in Lys to pay for the renovations. There was also a marble quarry near the castle, obviously used to build the castle itself.

Saath was moreover surrounded by fertile land, on both sides of the River Sarne, probably due to the presence of an active volcano – whose last eruption happened more than 6 thousand years ago – near what was once Essaria and that the Dothraki renamed Vaes Khadokh.

The hills that surrounded Vaes Khadokh had caves – probably old mines dating back to the Kingdom of Sarnor – rich with iron, silver, gold, diamonds and other precious gems and also dragonglass - though Aly didn't know what this last one was. Leydon had found all this by accident during a riding expedition, wanting to see the lands surrounding Saath.

After putting together a team of men to start the excavation, the mining began. Leydon reported that there were more deposits that they could mine in ten lifetimes.

The work on the castle in the meantime continued, and now, with the gold, silver and diamond mines at their disposal, they had the means to pay the workers without worrying about depleting their funds. Leydon not only wanted to restore the castle to its former glory but to also expand it, due to the number of people it would have to house. Not only Leydon and his family, but also his army, five thousands men mostly made up of his own Potter men that had followed him to Essos, other exiled Westerosi knights and also a great number of former slaves. Then there were the families of those knights, and of course the servants, plus all those architects and workers that he had hired to work on the castle. With so many people working at the same time, in a few months the work was completed and the newlyweds moved into the castle just in time for their baby to be born.

It was still weird for her to think that Leydon and Jaenys were really her parents and that when Leydon described the baby it was actually her they were talking about, especially because the baby they described didn't look like her at all. Aly had dark hair and green eyes and not pale silver hair and violet eyes like the Alyssa described in the journal. She imagined that the blood adoption ritual was the reason why she looked so different from the baby in those pages, though she really couldn't imagine looking any other way.

Aly looked at her watch and realized that it was very late, she couldn't avoid sleeping any longer. Tomorrow she and the Weasleys were going to Diagon Alley to buy their Hogwarts supplies and she really needed to be well-rested. She blew the candle on her nightstand and put the journal underneath her pillow before closing her eyes and trying to sleep, hoping to dream of the world depicted on her father's journal.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"The Dothraki attacked Saath so my mother and father used the secret passages of the White Castle to reach the harbour, take a ship and escape the town. However, they got separated along the way and my father – with little me and a bag full of gems in tow – found himself in this circle of stones near the marble Quarry and the necklace started to glow and next thing he knew, he was in front of Gringotts. Fortunately, he had heard stories of our world from his grandfather so he figured out what had happened. He asked the goblins for help, the goblins called Lily and James Potter once they established his identity, they blood-adopted me and then Leydon died a few months later in St. Mungos." Aly told Hermione from the armchair she was sitting on, bent legs in front of her chest and elbows on her knees. "And that's everything."

They were inside the Room of Requirement, also called The Come-and-Go-Room, a place Dobby had found for her to get away from everything after her name had been spat out of the Goblet of Fire and the entire school, her best friend Ron included, had turned against her. It was second year all over again. People were so fickle.

Hermione had stayed at her side though, believing her word when she said that she hadn't put her name in the Goblet. That was why she had decided to show her her secret room and told her everything about her birth parents.

"Wow, that's…" It was strange and a little amusing, seeing her best friend speechless.

Aly nodded, understanding perfectly. "I know. Unbelievable, hum? If I hadn't read my father's journal, I don't think I would have believed it. But everything was so detailed, it has to be real."

Hermione nodded. "Absolutely. Though I still can't wrap my head around the fact that there are other worlds beside our own out there and who knows how many."

Aly nodded back and then silence descended, the two of them immersed in their thoughts.

"How did Leydon communicate with the goblins, is their language – the Common Tongue was it – the same as our English?"

Aly turned her head like an owl and frowned in thought. "I think so. Though even if it weren’t, it wouldn’t make a difference because I think the necklace is spelled so that the wearer learns immediately another language as soon as they heard someone talking in that language. It would explain how I suddenly learnt how to speak French and Bulgarian."

"Wow, that's really useful. I would have to search this spell, maybe find a way to attach him to a necklace like yours. I think I read somewhere that diamonds in particular and some other precious stones like lapis lazuli are suitable to being charmed because they conduct magic like silver and copper conduct electricity."

Aly smiled at her friend's research face, her brilliant mind already busy trying to figure out ways to replicate the spell.

Then a sudden thought entered her mind and she frowned. "Do you think Sirius knew about me not being Lily and James Potter's child? I mean, he must have, right? Why didn’t he ever tell me anything?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, maybe he didn't think he was his place to tell you. Or maybe he didn't find the right time. After all the only time you saw him in person was June and with everything that happened I don't think telling you that your parents weren't really your parents would have help things in anyway. And after that you only sent each other letters, right? Have you heard from him since you told him about the Tournament?"

"No, but I'm going to see him this Hogsmeade week end. I wish I knew what the first Task was about so Sirius could give me some tips but for now, I still don't know anything. I know I'm not supposed to receive help but since I didn't ask to be a Champion in the Tournament I don't think it's unfair for me to cheat. My priority is staying alive after all."

"I agree." Hermione said before smiling. "So, your real appearance is a little like Malfoy, isn't it?"

Aly glared playfully at her and grimaced. "Ew, don't remind me. Though I think the Targaryen hair are even whiter than the platinum blonde of Malfoy so that's a relief I suppose. And they have violet eyes instead of grey so unlike Malfoy in that way too, fortunately. I don't want to have anything in common with that ferret."

"You said your father had black hair and dark eyes, right?"

"Yeah, Potter looks through and through."

"So why do you think you look more like your mother? I thought Targaryen genes were recessive, at least that's what it looks like from what you told me about them wanting to keep their bloodline pure. And, sorry to tell you this, but they sound a lot like those Pureblood supremacists when talking about muggles and muggleborns."

"My father's mother was a Velaryon and they too have silver hair and violet eyes, so maybe that's why I was born with the Valyrian looks too. Anyway, the whole pure blood thing has to do with the control of the dragons, I think, and they also have what they call 'dragon dreams' which it looks like they are some kind of prophetic dreams. They have magic in their blood and they need to maintain their magic to be able to control the dragons. Or at least it was like that until there were dragons. That's why they married brother to sister which…yuck!"

"Makes sense I guess." Hermione said, "Though it's still creepy."

"I know." Aly laughed. "Though I'm not sure the genetic problems that come with incest are the same in this other world. I mean, the Targaryens were considered the most beautiful people in the world, their beauty almost otherworldly so no birth defects or deformities. Though there were more cases of people in their family having mental issues than the norm so there's that."

"This is all so fascinating. I wish we could find books about this other world, so that we could really study the customs and history of it. I know your father was thorough but I'm sure there's so much more that we could learn."

Aly laughed at her friend's enthusiasm. "I wish so too but I don't think it's possible. Not unless I end up there and read their books, which I don't think it's possible."

"You never know, maybe it will happen to you like it happened to Markos and Darien."

Aly shrugged. "Maybe, but for now I'm going to concentrate on overcoming the three Tasks of the Tournament and stay alive. And maybe picking up archery and fencing in my free time."

"Archery and fencing, why?" Hermione asked, confused.

"Did you know that the pureblood heirs all learn these kinds of things? Boys and girls, it doesn't matter. I always thought they relayed solely on magic to defend themselves but no, they can also fight this way. I think it's a tradition that goes back to the Middle Ages. I think it's kind of cool and smart to learn about it. I mean, think about what would happen if, for one reason or another, I couldn't use magic or I lose my wand. At least this way I would not be completely defenseless."

"You're absolutely right, why didn't I think of this before? But where and from whom would you learn?"

Aly smiled at her and waved at everything around them. "Look around you. This room grants you whatever you need. I bet that if I ask the room for a place to learn archery and fencing, the room will answer and give me everything I need to."

Hermione clapped her hands in excitement. "Yes, count me in then, I want to learn too."

"Good then, two hours before breakfast and two hours after lunch, every day."

"I would have to organize my studying schedule but sure, I'll make it work."

* * *

 

Aly used her invisibility to cloak to reach the cave Sirius was hidden in so that no one would know she had been there. She didn't want to put Sirius in danger, even on accident.

"Hey kiddo!" Sirius greeted her as soon as she had taken off the cloak and stood in front of him inside the cave.

They hugged for long minutes, Aly closing her eyes to savour the moment. Though she had met Sirius only a few months back, she loved him like he had been with her her whole life.

"So, the Fourth Champion, hum? Did you find out yet what the first task is going to be?"

"Not yet. But I will somehow." Aly dismissed the topic quickly. "How are you Sirius? Do you have enough to eat? Do you want me to bring you something from the castle? I'm sure I can sneak out of Hogwarts and bring you something from the kitchen if you don't have enough."

"I'm fine, Aly, really. You don't need to worry about me."

Aly nodded and sat down on the ground. The cave was devoid of anything to sit on but there were blankets on the ground, probably where Sirius slept.

"I need to ask you something and I need you to be honest."

Sirius looked confused but nodded. "Sure. Anything you want."

"Did you know that Lily and James are not my real parents?"

Sirius sighed and nodded his head. "Yes, I knew."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Honestly kiddo, I didn't know how. How did you find out?"

"Gringotts. They summoned me this summer and told me the whole story. They gave me the journal Leydon Potter left for me."

"James and Lily should have been the ones to explain things to you. You know, Lily and James had been trying for a while to have a child but without success so when Leydon arrived with a child in his arms, asking them to take care of her, they were impossibly happy. You were a gift to them and they loved you like their own since the moment they saw you."

Aly felt tears filling her eyes at those words, happy to know that James and Lily had loved her. Of course she knew that already or they wouldn't have sacrificed their life to protect her but it was still good to hear it, especially coming from James' best friend.

"Thank you, Sirius!"

"You don't need to thank me. I only said the truth." Sirius smiled at her gently before asking her, "So, how are you dealing with all of this? The attack this summer from Death Eaters, now you being a Champion in the Tournament. How are you really?"

"If I have to be honest, not well. I mean, Hermione is great but the rest of the school turned against me, even Ron. Sometimes I just wish I could run away."

"Well, why can't you?" Sirius asked like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"What do you mean, I can't just run. I can't leave Hogwarts. How can I learn how to be a witch if I leave Hogwarts?"

"You could go to another school if that's what you want. Hell, we could run away together, change our identities, go to the States maybe. I'm really good at Transfiguration as I'm sure you know, I could change my face and we could change names and live a normal, magical life far away from here, far away from the threat of Voldemort and his followers."

"But…I can't just run, can't I?"

"Why not? You don't own anybody anything. You may be the Girl-Who-Lived because you survived while others didn't and that means that you have a target on your back from both Voldemort and his death eaters but that doesn't mean that you have to stay here and fight against him. You're just a teenager who deserves to live a normal life. Your parents – both set I'm sure – would want you to be happy and safe and if the safest place is away from here, then why not leave. I could be with you this way, be your guardian like I should have been when Lily and James were killed. This could be our chance to start a new life together."

"You thought about this, haven't you? I mean, before today."

"Yes, it's a thought that I've been having all summer."

"You're really serious? Do you think we could just leave?"

"We should take precautions to make sure that not even Dumbledore can find us but yes, we could."

Aly breathed deeply at the idea of just leave. She had never thought about it before but now that the idea was in her head, she couldn't think of one single reason why she shouldn't. Sure, she would miss Hermione but that was all. She had thought when she had started Hogwarts that she had finally found a home, something that the Dursleys had never been and yet, more than once, it had felt like a prison more than a home, a place where everyone hated her and distrusted her, a place she couldn't leave.

Why not leave then? Why not go far away from here, start in another magical school with a new name and especially with Sirius at her side?

"I would have to think about it."

"Of course. But remember, if things go really bad, you just need to tell me and we'll leave without looking back."


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, chapter 3, the chapter you've been waiting for I imagine. The first task finally and then, next chapter, finally Aly in Essos.  
> Before reading the chapter, please read what I wrote below. It's important.
> 
> Since the dragons in Harry Potter are different from those in ASOIF/GOT, I decided, to make it all fit, to create a sort of dragon encyclopaedia. Basically every breed of dragon present in Harry Potter has a counterpart in the GOT world. To do that I had to change the characteristics of the Harry Potter dragons so bare with me.
> 
> For starters all dragons have two legs and not four like in Harry Potter and their size varied because of their age and not because of their breed. The older the dragon the bigger it gets, no matter what kind of dragon. Therefore you can ignore the Canon dimensions of the dragons in Harry Potter. Same thing with the flames, the older and bigger the dragon, the hotter the flame. They also have no fixed gender like in GOT.
> 
> All dragons look similar except for things like long or short snout, spiked or forked tail and venomous fangs. And of course the colour.  
> The colour of the dragon eggs correspond to the colours the dragon will have like in GOT and it's basically the different colours that differentiate one breed from another.
> 
> Beside the Canon dragon names (whose characteristics I sometimes modified according to the different dragons in the ASOIF books), I also made other types. I hope I made myself clear.
> 
> Here they are, the different types of the dragons with an example of the different dragons encountered in the ASOIF universe.
> 
> Antipodean Opaleye: Pearly white with orange horns, wingbones and spinal plates. Violet eyes and purple flame. Example: Aly's dragon.
> 
> Catalonian Fireball: Pale grey/silver scales like morning mist. Light orange eyes and silver horns, wingbones and spinal plates. Example: Grey Ghost, Seasmoke.
> 
> Chinese Fireball: Scarlet, smooth scales and golden spikes around its snub, golden wingbones and spinal plates. Example: Caraxes
> 
> Common Welsh Green: Green scales and bronze horns, spinal plates and wingbones. Example: Rhaegal
> 
> Egyptian Goldscales: Golden scales and pink wings. Example: Sunfyre
> 
> Greek Bronzescales: Bronze scales and yellowish brown wings. Example: Vermithor
> 
> Hebridean Black: Black scales, black fire, ridges along its back and a tail tipped with an arrow-shaped spike. Red eyes. Example: Balerion
> 
> Hungarian Horntail: Black scales, red eyes, blood red horns and spikes. Black fire shot with red. Example: Drogon
> 
> Indian Yellow: yellow scales and pearly white horns, spikes and wingbones. Example: Syrax
> 
> Libyan Forkedtail: Mud brown with bronze spikes, horns and wingbones. Yellow eyes. Example: Sheepstealer
> 
> Norwegian Black Ridgeback: Black scales with brown undertones, black ridges and venomous fangs. Example: Cannibal
> 
> Peruvian Vipertooth: Scarlet scales and pink wings. Crest, horn and claws copper. Venomous Fangs. Example: Meleys
> 
> Portuguese Long-Snout: Light green scales. Horns, crest and wingbones ivory white. Example: Moondancer
> 
> Romanian Longhorn: Creamed scales and two long golden horns. Golden ridges, spikes and wingbones. Example: Viserion
> 
> Swedish Short-Snout: Blue scales and cobalt wings. Copper horns, spikes and wingbones. Blue flame. Example: Tessarion
> 
> Ukrainian Silverbelly: Silver scales. Dark silver horns, spikes and wingbones. Golden eyes. Example: Meraxes
> 
> Basically, these are the breeds of known dragons but there are also others, hybrids and such.
> 
> Also, just wanted to reassure some people. This is not the last chapter that you'll see Hermione (or Sirius for that matter). They will both join Aly to the GOT world, just not for a while. You'll have to see how that happens later on.
> 
> After this incredibly long chapter note, I'll leave you to the chapter, hope you like it! Oh, the words written in Italic are taken from 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'.

****

**Chapter 3**

"Can I tell you something?" Aly asked Hermione hesitantly. They had just finished their fencing training, the training dummies once again immobile and unharmed. It had been a week since they had started and they were learning quickly, thanks to the magic of the Room of Requirement that upped the difficulty of the dummies every time they learned something new. It was the kind of learning by trial and error, the swords that the dummies used sharp and quick, the cuts real if they hit. They needed to be fast to defend themselves if they didn't want to end up sliced like ham.

"Sure, what is it?" Hermione answered, wiping sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Sirius proposed to run away, the two of us together, to leave Hogwarts and Great Britain behind altogether, maybe go to the States, change our identities and start a new life somewhere else."

"And what did you say?" Hermione's voice was deceptively calm.

Aly shrugged her shoulders. "I said that I would need to think about it. Of course, there's also the fact that I'm magically bound to the Tournament and that I need to participate in it if I want to keep my magic."

Hermione's eyes sparkled at that, always happy to spread knowledge around like candy. "I researched that and it turns out that as long as you participate in the first Task, then you are free to forfeit. It would be seen as an admission of defeat instead of a refusal to participate in the Tournament all together and therefore your magic will be safe."

"Does that mean that if I survive the first Task I can just surrender and I will be free?"

Hermione nodded, a smile on her face. "Yeah, it means exactly that."

"So that means that I could really leave with Sirius if I wanted to." The possibility became more and more appealing the longer she thought about it.

"You would really leave without me?" Hermione asked, her voice reaching a high-pitched tone in her anger.

"I would never ask you to go with me, not because I don't want you to but because you have a life here. You love Hogwarts, and what about your parents?"

"I do love Hogwarts but it's just a school. The States have Ilvermorny which, I heard, is a very good school, though not as ancient as Hogwarts. It's not like I have many friends beside you and Ron. And Ron right now…well, I don't even know if he is a friend anymore. And my parents, well, I think that if I explain things to them, they wouldn't mind leaving. They are dentists so they could just open another studio everywhere they want. We could sell the house and the studio they have now and just leave."

"Hermione, I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking. I'm the one who wants to do this. I get why you want to leave so I can't ask you to stay. However, I can come with you. Just promise me you won't leave without saying anything, promise me that when you finally decide, that you will tell me and we'll make the preparations together."

"All right. I promise."

* * *

 

Three weeks until the first task and Aly had finally made a decision. It hadn't been easy because no matter what, she would miss Hogwarts because it was in this magical castle that she had felt happy for the first time. It was the place where she had met Hermione, (and Ron, though she tried not to think too much about him), where she had found out about Sirius, where Remus taught her the Patronus Charm and told her that he was friends with her father. There were a lot of good memories here but she realized that she couldn't stay anymore. It was time for her to move on.

She sent a letter to Sirius simply saying 'I've made a decision. See you after the first task at the cave.'

She talked to Hermione then and they both decided that the best time for her to leave would be during Winter break. She could explain everything to her parents then and simply not come back when the Term would start once again in January. That would also leave time for Aly and Sirius to find a place to stay.

Aly decided to make a plan about everything she needed to bring with her and about the travel arrangements. Taking a muggle plane from London would be the easiest solution. However, with all the scrutiny still on Sirius and all the Aurors and Dementors still looking for him, it would be better to leave the Country some other way – still a muggle way though so that they couldn't be traced magically – for example by taking a coach or renting a car, pass the Channel Tunnel and then take a plane from another Country like France. They therefore needed false IDs but she didn't think that would be too much of a problem using magic.

Aly then went to Gringotts and retrieved all the gold from her vault, not offering any explanation as to why except saying that no one had to know she had been there, especially Dumbledore.

She then put the entire content of her vault inside one of the seven-compartment trunk that she had found in the Room of Hidden Things (like she had taken to call it) in the Room of Requirement. She had also filled three other compartments with all the other things she had found inside the room that she had deemed useful or that she had simply liked (the room really was a treasure trove - sometimes literally since she had actually found gold and jewels there as well). Among other things she had found clothes – mostly wizarding robes but sometimes muggle clothes too – in different colours and fabrics. Some were really old, probably centuries old but perfectly preserved, the style really different from the one of today, resembling Medieval dresses. She didn't know why she had taken them, it was not like she actually had any use for them but the idea of leaving them there abandoned to gather dust didn't sit well with her.

She had also found a series of five books – they were at least a century old – about Potions that didn't use anything else but plants (fruits and vegetables included – no other ingredients from animals, magical or otherwise) and whose preparation didn’t require the use of a wand. In these books there were illustrated at least five hundred potions recipes per book, a lot of them were used to cure various illnesses from the most common ones like headaches and menstrual pain to other more dangerous ones, while others explained how to create makeup and creams to improve one's appearance. There were some that would create antidotes to common and not so common poisons, others that were used for agricultural purposes and many that could be used as substitutes for the potions she had studied in class or she would study in later years.

Aly had never been good at Potions, mostly because Snape hated her, but she loved plants. Aunt Petunia had a beautiful garden that she had never bothered to take care of alone. Instead, as soon as Aly was old enough – five years old so not really that old at all – Petunia had given her the task of taking care of it. Aly had come to love tending to the different plants and flowers in the garden, even going as far as researching everything there was to know about them. She was especially interested in their curative uses.

When she arrived at Hogwarts Herbology soon became one of her favourite classes together with Defense Against the Dark Arts. She was probably the only one who could understand the obsession Neville had with it; not even Hermione was so zealous when it came to plants.

Since Aly wanted to try them but she didn't know how to get all the ingredients and not wanting to steal from Snape or the greenhouses, she asked the Room to provide them, unsure if it would work or not. Fortunately, it did. She found with great pleasure that some that she tried worked perfectly and most of them tasted really good too.

She therefore started to fill the trunk with both seeds to plant and finished products ready to be consumed, all under a preservation spell.

She also moved all her other things from her old trunk to her new one and started to bring everything around with her at all times, shrunken, lightened and in her pocket, afraid that once the day of the first task finally arrived she wouldn't be able to retrieve them, or even worse, not to leave at all.

* * *

 

One week until the First Task and Hagrid had asked Aly to meet him at his cabin at Midnight, though he hadn't explained why. Aly wasn't particularly keen on going, afraid to get caught and end up in trouble, something that she really didn't need so close to the First Task and freedom but she knew that she couldn't say no to him, though she hoped it wasn't to show her some new dangerous pet he had acquired like the three-headed dog or the dragon in her first year or the acromantula she had encountered with Ron in second year, though she had to admit that seeing a dragon being born had been an exciting and awe-inspiring experience. She had felt an instance kinship with Norbert – now that she thought about it it was probably the Targaryen blood in her – and she had been sorry to see him go when she and Ron had left him with Charlie.

Aly reached the groundkeeper's hut five minutes to midnight. She knocked on the door, body covered by her invisibility cloak.

" _You there_ , Aly?"  _Hagrid whispered, opening the door and looking around_.

" _Yeah," said_  Aly,  _slipping inside the cabin and pulling the cloak down off_  her  _head_.  _"What's up?"_

" _Got summat ter show yeh," said Hagrid._

Aly could see the excitement and nervousness coming from Hagrid and started to grow apprehensive. That feeling turned to confusion when Hagrid led her to the Beauxbatons Carriage. Aly followed him and Madame Maxime in what looked for all the world like a date in the moonlight and wondered what the hell she was doing there. What was that Hagrid wanted to show her?

Aly kept checking her watch and noticing the late hour, she was half-tempted to just leave them be, _but then — when they had walked so far around the perimeter of the forest that the castle and the lake were out of sight —_  Aly  _heard something. Men were shouting up ahead . . . then came a deafening, earsplitting roar…_

 _Hagrid led Madame Maxime around a clump of trees and came to a halt._  Aly  _hurried up alongside them — for a split second_ , she  _thought_  she  _was seeing bonfires, and men darting around them — and then_ her  _mouth fell open._

_Dragons._

_Four fully grown, enormous_ , beautiful though terrifying _dragons were rearing onto their legs inside an enclosure fenced with thick planks of wood, roaring and snorting — torrents of fire were shooting into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks. There was a blue one with long, pointed_ copper _horns, snapping and snarling at the wizards on the ground; a smooth-scaled green one, which was writhing and stamping with all its might; a red one with an odd fringe of fine gold spikes around its face, which was shooting mushroom-shaped fire clouds into the air; and a gigantic_ pearly white _one,_ eyes as violet as its flame _, which was nearest to them._

 _At least thirty wizards, seven or eight to each dragon, were attempting to control them, pulling on the chains connected to heavy leather straps around their necks and legs. Mesmerized,_ Aly _looked up, high above_ her _, and saw the eyes of the_ white _dragon, with vertical pupils like a cat's, bulging with either fear or rage,_ she _couldn't tell which… It was making a horrible noise, a yowling, screeching scream…_

" _Keep back there, Hagrid!" yelled a wizard near the fence, straining on the chain he was holding. "They can shoot fire at a range of twenty feet, you know! I've seen this_ Opaleye _do forty!"_

" _Is'n' it beautiful?" said Hagrid softly._

" _It's no good!" yelled another wizard. "_ Full-Body Bind _Spells, on the count of three!"_

Aly _saw each of the dragon keepers pull out his wand._

"Petrificus Totalus _!" they shouted in unison, and the_ Immobilizing _Spells shot into the darkness like fiery rockets, bursting in showers of stars on the dragons' scaly hides —_

Aly _watched the dragon nearest to them teeter dangerously on its legs; its jaws stretched wide in a silent howl; its nostrils were suddenly devoid of flame, though still smoking — then, very slowly, it fell. Several tons of sinewy, scaly-_ white _dragon hit the ground with a thud that_ Aly _could have sworn made the trees behind_ her _quake._

Aly felt a sudden urge to defend it and bring it away from there, though she knew that the Petrificus spell wasn't really harmful.

 _The dragon keepers lowered their wands and walked forward to their fallen charges, each of which was the size of_ a plane _. They hurried to tighten the chains and fasten them securely to iron pegs, which they forced deep into the ground with their wands._

" _Wan' a closer look?" Hagrid asked Madame Maxime excitedly._

 _The pair of them moved right up to the fence, and Aly followed._ Her hands trembled at her side, not sure if it was with fear or excitement, maybe both. The only thing she knew was that she wanted to touch them, the white one especially, though she couldn't say why that particular one. She wondered if it was her dragon blood talking or her reckless Gryffindor side, probably both.

 _The wizard who had warned Hagrid not to come any closer turned, and_ Aly _realized who it was: Charlie Weasley._

" _All right, Hagrid?" he panted, coming over to talk. "They should be okay now — we put them out with a Sleeping Draft on the way here, thought it might be better for them to wake up in the dark and the quiet — but, like you saw, they weren't happy, not happy at all —"_

" _What breeds you got here, Charlie?" said Hagrid, gazing at the closest dragon, the_ white _one, with something close to reverence._

 _Its eyes were open_. Aly _could see gleaming_ purple _beneath its wrinkled white eyelid._

" _This is_ an Antipodean Opaleye _," said Charlie. "There's a Common Welsh Green over there, a Swedish Short-Snout, that blue one, and a Chinese Fireball, that's the red."_

 _Charlie looked around; Madame Maxime was strolling away around the edge of the enclosure, gazing at the_ petrified _dragons._

" _I didn't know you were bringing her, Hagrid," Charlie said, frowning. "The champions aren't supposed to know what's coming — she's bound to tell her student, isn't she?"_

" _Jus' thought she'd like ter see 'em," shrugged Hagrid, still gazing, enraptured, at the dragons._

" _Really romantic date, Hagrid," said Charlie, shaking his head._

" _Four . . ." said Hagrid, "so it's one fer each o' the champions, is it? What've they gotta do — fight 'em?"_

" _Just get past them, I think," said Charlie. "We'll be on hand if it gets nasty, Extinguishing Spells at the ready. They wanted nesting mothers, I don't know why…_ probably because they know they are more aggressive than usual like that, the Opaleye in particular. It's a type of dragon usually not particularly aggressive, except when nesting. I tell you, I don't envy the one who ends up with it."

 _Five of Charlie's fellow keepers staggered up to the_ Opaleye _at that moment, carrying a clutch of huge_ eggs in different colours _between them in a_ basket _. They placed them carefully near_  the fence _. Hagrid let out a moan of longing._

" _I've got them counted, Hagrid," said Charlie sternly. Then he said, "How's_ Aly _?"_

" _Fine," said Hagrid. He was still gazing at the eggs._

" _Just hope_ she _'s still fine after_ she _'s faced this lot," said Charlie grimly, looking out over the dragons' enclosure. "I didn't dare tell Mum what_ she _'s got to do for the first task; she's already having kittens about_ her _. . ."_

Aly lost interest in the conversation and waited patiently for Charlie and Hagrid to walk way, not interested anymore in returning back to the castle. A part of her psyche was still trying to process the fact that she would have to face a dragon during the first task but most of her mind was still in awe at the dragons to concern herself with it right away.

A noise distracted her and she noticed Karkaroff sneaking away and realized he had found out about the dragons too. So now the only one who didn't know was Cedric. Aly decided to tell him the next day, it was only fair.

She waited a good fifteen minutes for the wizards around to get far away enough from the fence that they wouldn't notice her near the dragons. Then she took a deep breath and took off her cloak before climbing over the fence.

Her heart was beating so hard and fast inside her chest that she could feel it in her throat but she didn't let it stop her.

She raised a hand slowly towards the white dragon, its left purple eye - the only one she could see from that position - watching her warily but still unable to move because of the spell. Aly touched the warm scales of its snout and smiled in wonder, a sudden, powerful sensation deep in her soul warming her from head to toe.

She was almost sure the white dragon in front of her had felt the same thing, though it was difficult to be sure since it was immobile. It was more of a sensation than anything else, similar to the one she felt when she interacted with Hedwig. Like there was a connection there that only they could feel or understand. She didn't know what it was, she only knew that it was very profound.

She caressed the scales gently and whispered to it: "I'm sorry you're here, trapped like this, just because some stupid ministry workers decided it was a good idea for you to be used as an obstacle in an even stupider Tournament. A creature like you should never be in chains. I wish I could set you free."

The dragon's big eye watched her, perfectly still but seemingly completely relaxed. Aly was amazed at how easy it was to read the expression in it, at how expressive it was.

Aly kept caressing it and talking to it, feeling more relaxed by the second too. "My father Leydon wrote that dragons were supposed to be extremely intelligent. I guess he was right. You can understand everything I'm saying, can you? Or at least enough to know that I'm not your enemy and that I don't intend to hurt you. I wish I could bring you with me where I'm going. I doubt Sirius would be particularly happy with it but I wouldn't mind. I guess it's in my blood."

Voices from a few feet away made her turn her head away. A few wizards were coming closer, though she was still covered in darkness fortunately so they couldn't see her. However, she needed to leave before being discovered. She turned to the dragon once again and said, still caressing its snout, "I'm sorry but I have to go now. I guess I'll see you in a week." She kept her hand on the warm scales for a few seconds still, watching its purple eye, then she turned away and left, cloak once again covering her form.

* * *

 

Aly had drawn out the white dragon from the bag. She had almost smiled at seeing the miniature one flapping its wings and puffing out smoke on the palm of her hand, feeling much calmer now. It seemed naïve to think the dragon would not attack her after only a one-sided conversation and yet she knew it to be true. There was a connection between them, she was sure of it.

She had had a strategy before coming here, using the Accio spell to bring her Firebolt to her – Firebolt that she had left in her dorm because she didn't want anyone to know that she had her trunk with her, hidden in a secret pocket inside her school uniform – and fly over the dragon to the basket full of eggs to retrieve the golden one. Now this whole plan seemed unnecessary since she felt she could actually talk to the dragon without being roasted alive.

She waited patiently for her turn, hearing the comments from Ludo Bagman about the other three champions until it was her turn.

 _Finally_  she  _heard the whistle blow_. She walked out through the entrance of the tent, the excitement rising into a crescendo inside her. She was feeling reckless and yet, she was not afraid.

She left the tent and walked to a stage surrounded by stones that delimited the space and stands filled with hundreds of faces staring down at her. She vaguely registered them, her attention completely captured by the white dragon at the other end of the stage from where she was standing, crouched low over the basket of eggs she had seen a week ago.

The white dragon was watching her, not making a move to attack, though it didn't seem particularly friendly either at the moment. Aly took a deep breath to find her courage and started to walk slowly towards it, a hand stretched in front of her.

The dragon huffed a puff of smoke but didn't roast her with its fire so Aly considered it a victory.

She started to talk to it like she had done the night she had met it. "I know you don't want to be here, probably even less than I do. And I know that you're only trying to protect the eggs but I promise you, I'm not trying to steal them from you. There is one who is not an egg at all. The golden one, do you see it?"

Aly waited a breath until she saw the dragon moved its head towards the basket for a second and smiled to herself. She knew the dragon could understand her.

"Yes, you see it, don't you? It's right there and it's not supposed to be. If you just let me come closer and take it, I'll be out of your way soon."

In the back of her mind she registered the fact that the crowd was completely silent, probably astonished at the fact that her strategy was simply to talk to the dragon. She had no idea that she was actually speaking Parseltongue.

The dragon looked at her before starting to move its head back and forth and that's when she finally noticed the collar around its neck connected to a chain. Aly glared at the offending item and said to the dragon, "I will free you of your chains to show you that I'm not lying. How does that sound?"

The dragon huffed another hot breath and then finally lowered its head. Aly smiled and came closer, still slowly though, not wanting to spook it.

Once she was close enough to reach the collar around the dragon's neck, she pointed her wand at it. She wasn't sure if an opening spell would work in this case so she simply transfigured the collar into something else: paper in this case. Once that was done, she simply ripped it away from the dragon's neck.

"There you go, now you're free." She said to it before caressing its snout gently. The dragon huffed in gratitude, purple eyes kindly looking back.

Aly moved slightly away from the dragon now, though she was still close enough to touch it, and extended the hand towards the basket, noticing with pleasure that the dragon didn't do anything to attack her.

She was a breath's away from touching the golden egg when the necklace around her neck started to glow.

She didn't even have time to realize what was happening. One second she was standing in the arena near the Forbidden Forest on Hogwarts' Grounds surrounded by hundreds of people, the next, she, the white dragon near her and the basket full of dragon eggs and the fake golden one found themselves in the middle of a desert.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the new chapter. This is just a transitional one. Nothing much happens in it but it was necessary. The real fun begins next chapter and therefore - I imagine - the chapters will get longer then. Hope you like this one, tell me what you think!

****

 

** Chapter 4 **

Aly looked around herself and felt panic grip her. Where was she? Everything around her as far as she could see was yellow-red dry land and not a building in sight.

She heard the dragon near her emitting a low growl and she turned towards it. "I know how you feel. I'm still nauseous and dizzy as well. Are you okay? Nothing broken?"

The dragon growled again, though this time it was in answer to her question. Aly wasn't sure how she could understand it as well as she did, but she knew instinctually what it was feeling.

She took a look at the eggs next and was relieved to find that they were all intact. Even the fake one was still there though Aly really didn't care about it.

"Well, at least we're all okay." She said aloud. "Now, if only I could figure out where I am so I can go back to Hogwarts…"

As soon as she said that, she heard a beautiful chirping sound, like a song, coming from above her. She raised her neck and saw it. The sight was somewhat familiar and yet different from the last time. There was a phoenix flying in her direction and it was carrying something in her talons wrapped in a cloth, but this phoenix was nothing like Fawkes. It was completely white except for its beak and claws which were golden. There was something familiar about it though and she took a few minutes to figure out why. It was the eyes…it had the same golden eyes as… "Hedwig?"

The phoenix chirped at her, let its package drop to the floor at her feet and came to perch on her left shoulder. It was all the confirmation Aly needed. "What happened to you? You look different girl."

Hedwig chirped again and brought her beak closer to Aly's cheek. Suddenly her mind was invaded by visions and she understood.

"You are the Potters' familiar, aren't you?" She asked rhetorically. "You followed Markos and Darien when they first ended up in this world. And when Leydon arrived in the Wizarding World, you followed him as well. Hum, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised phoenixes can travel to different worlds. So, he changed your appearance – he actually asked the goblins to do it, go figure – so that you wouldn't stand out so much. You stayed with him until he died and then you waited for me to grow up. And that's also why you showed up at my aunt and uncle's house the summer I turned ten. And now you returned to your original appearance because you are in the world you really belong. And this means that we are in Westeros." She finished with a sigh. Returning to Hogwarts would be much more difficult than she was expecting. Damn it, what would Hermione and Sirius think? She was sure Hermione would figure out where she was but Aly didn't think her best friend – as brilliant as she was – was going to find a way to bring her back.

Hedwig squawked in protest at her assessment of the place and Aly frowned. "We're not in Westeros?"

Hedwig chirped – that meant yes then. "So, we're in…Essos?" A chirp in confirmation and Aly nodded. "And we're in the middle of a desert which means…" She groaned once she figured it out, remembering Leydon's maps and descriptions. "Which means we are in the Red Waste. That's great."

She sat on the ground with a huff and tried to think on what to do now. Then she remembered that Hedwig had brought something with her. "What did you bring me, Hedwig?"

Hedwig chirped in a way that seemed to say: 'Why don't you find out?'

Aly smiled at her and took the wrapped thing in her hands. As soon as she felt the weight in her hands she realized it was a sword. And not just any sword. Aly grinned and unwrapped the material to reveal what was underneath. As soon as she saw the shining, slightly rippled metal with the words 'Godric Gryffindor' engraved on it she shook her head with a large smile. "The sword of Gryffindor. Of course, you brought me the sword of Gryffindor."

Hedwig rested her beak on Aly's cheek again and Aly got another vision. Turn out the goblins were the ones who told her to bring the sword to Aly as soon as they were notified that Aly had vanished from Hogwarts. The goblins, unlike everyone else, knew in fact what had happened to Aly and because of that, they figured Aly could use a sword in the place she was now.

Aly took the sword in her hand to get a feeling for it. The blade was more slender than normal longswords but it was still extremely strong and sharp while being light at the same time. It was even lighter than she remembered when she had used it to kill the basilisk in her second year, probably because she had been younger then. Goblin-made steel really was a marvel.

She needed a scabbard to carry it though; luckily, she had found an old sword in the room of requirement, with sheath included. This sword wasn't nearly as fine as the Gryffindor sword and was heavy as well, therefore she would use its scabbard to carry the sword of Gryffindor around.

Before everything else though, she really needed to name the dragon, she couldn't keep calling it…It. "So, are you a boy or a girl?" She asked but the dragon sent her a look that seemed to be mocking her. "Yeah, I know. Dragons…no fixed gender. Though you are a nesting mother at the moment so that means that you're a girl. So…what should I call you?"

The dragon growled at her in warning. "Don't worry, you'll like it. Hum, let's see…how about…?" She tried to put together names and surnames of her parents – all four of them – into something resembling a name that would fit the dragon and she came up with… "What do you think of…Moonarys?"

The dragon purred in approval and Aly grinned. "Yeah, I like it too. So, Moonarys it is then."

She was starting to sweat with all the layers she was wearing so first things first, she took off her outer robe. Then she searched for the pocket she had put her shrunk trunk in. Once she found that, she put the shrunken trunk on the floor and touched it with the tip on her wand. In an instant the trunk reverted to its original size.

Immediately she searched in the first compartment where she put the sword that she found in the Room of Requirements and took the scabbard off of it before putting the sword of Gryffindor inside. Then she searched in the trunk for something light to wear – maybe a dress with leather pants underneath? – something that wouldn't appear strange in Essos, or at least less strange than jeans. It was fortunate that she had raided the Room of Hidden Things before leaving.

After a little scavenging in the third compartment's meanders, she finally found something that she thought could work. It was a dress composed of two parts. The inner part was simple: a long, purple strapless gown in a trouser skirt style and an open robe over it – still purple – with golden embroideries on both sides of the hook that closed it on the front just underneath her breasts and with double sleeves, the outer part reaching her elbows and the inner side made in satin and open in a volant. It was made of a light texture that was probably cotton mixed with linen and looked very comfortable. She changed quickly and that's when she noticed something in her appearance was different. She had asked Hermione to braid her hair that morning to not have them in the way during the task in the Tournament but now the braid had come loose. She was just about to remake it, this time to the side, when she noticed that her hair were various shades lighter that it had been that morning. In fact, it was so light that it looked almost white.

She supposed it made sense. Hedwig had after all returned to her original appearance when she came here, why wouldn't the same thing happen to her as well? That probably meant that, for whatever reason, glamour charms or derivates of that, didn't work here. Would the polyjuice work then?

She supposed it didn't matter at the moment, she had more urgent things to worry about.

She decided to keep some money with her because she would probably need it so she retrieved some gems from the bag Leydon had left her and she put them in a small pouch filled with galleons before hiding it in an inside pocket. Then she retrieved her bow and arrows and a dagger with the same rippled pattern as the Gryffindor sword (that told her the dagger had been made by goblins as well) that she had found in the Room of Requirement and attached the first to her shoulders and the second to her left hip with Gryffindor sword on the right – better be harmed, she knew from what her biological father had written that this world was dangerous; in fact it was a miracle no one – especially the Dothraki – still hadn't passed by.

Once that was done, she put her clothes she was wearing during the first task inside the trunk and then looked at the dragon eggs undecided. On one hand she wanted to put them inside because she wouldn't exactly be unobtrusive walking around with a basket full of dragon eggs. On the other, she didn't want to risk something happening to them by shrinking them. In the end she decided on putting the eggs inside the bottomless beaded vintage bag Hermione had gifted her last Christmas. This way the eggs would be safe and protected inside and would remain hidden at the same time.

"So Moonarys, I know you may be angry at this but I need to take your eggs…" A growl at that. "Not take them, take them. I'll just put them inside this bag and I'll keep them safe for you, okay? I'll need to walk and you'll need to fly because we can't stay here. We need to find a safe place to stay. That means that neither of us can carry them around while we're moving. I promise you, I'll give them back to you as soon as we'll be somewhere safe, all right?"

Moonarys huffed a puff of smoke in agreement, lowering her big snout. Aly grinned at her. She then put the eggs inside the bag one by one because she couldn't raise the entire basket on her own. Once that was done, she concentrated on using the spell to shrunk the trunk again.

Except it didn't work. She tried more than once, raising her voice and pushing her magic into her wand but it felt like there was a barrier between her and her wand all of a sudden. She tried another spell, an enlarging spell, but this one too didn't work. She tried more and more spells but nothing seemed to work. It wasn't like she couldn't feel her magic anymore because she still did, it was more the fact that her wand didn't work for her anymore. She wasn't even able to produce a few sparks from it.

"Damn it! Why isn't it working?"

Hedwig seemed to know the answer to that question because she once again perched on her shoulder and touched her cheek with her beak. Once again images flooded her brain and she understood. Magical Wands didn't work here. The same thing had happened to Markos and Darien when they first came to Westeros. However, they were still able to execute some spells without a wand, even if it took a lot of practice, so that was something.

Aly realized that the simplest solution at the moment was to put the trunk inside the bag as well. It took a lot of maneuvering but after long minutes – and with both Moonarys and Hedwig looking at her with amusement – she finally succeeded.

She looked around herself and almost snorted at the fact that her two companions were rare magical creatures. What was next, a griffin or a basilisk? Well, maybe not the basilisk seen as what had happened the last time. "I could open a magical menagerie, what do you think?"

Indignant sounds from both animals were her only answer and she laughed. At least she wasn't completely alone. Now, to figure out where to go.

Aly decided that the best place to start will be Saath. After all, she still didn't know what had happened to her mother. Maybe, if she was lucky – though she usually wasn't – her mother had returned to Saath after the Dothraki attack and was still there. She hoped so, otherwise she had no idea what to do. First things first, she needed to leave this place. Who knew how many Dothraki hordes were around? She sure didn't want to come face to face with them. They weren't exactly known for their manners – especially against women.

However, before going anywhere, she needed to try and learn to cast the Aguamenti spell without a wand. She was in the middle of a desert and she had no water, only some food – vegetables and fruits that she had brought with her – and if she didn't want to die of thirst, this was absolutely necessary.

She took out her leather canteen from her bag and emptied it of the firewhiskey inside – courtesy of the Weasley twins. Then after that, she concentrated on filling it with water. She repeated the spell over and over, visualizing the water filling up the canteen. After what must have been the fifteenth attempt, she finally felt the tingling sensation in her fingers she usually felt while casting spells with a wand. In a moment water started to appear in the bottom and in a few seconds the entire canteen was full.

"Yes! I did it!" Aly screamed in joy, extremely relieved with the proof that she still could use magic, even if it was an exhausting and time demanding endeavor. She hoped it would become easier with time. She corked the canteen again and got up from the ground. She observed with a little dread the miles of walking under the scorching sun she had ahead of her but she knew she couldn't put it off any longer, she needed to go. Now.

"Well, how do you feel about an adventure?" She asked both Moonarys and Hedwig. "Do you want to come with me?"

She was met with positive answers from both and she nodded her head. "All right, let's go then. I only hope we'll find some form of civilization soon because I don't have a lot of supplies with me."

She started to walk and watched with a smile Moonarys taking off over her head. Soon she was at least 300 feet above her but she could still see her. Hedwig stayed faithfully close to her, a calming presence in this unfamiliar world. She gripped the necklace still on her neck, the one who had brought her here and prayed with all her might that her mother was still alive because if she was, Aly swore to herself that she would find her, however long it took.


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is, chapter 5. To be honest I don't like it much but I don't know how to make it better. Please, be gentle with me. Anyway, hope you like it! Oh, almost forgot, I changed the dragon's name to Moonarys. Hope you're okay with it. I like it better this way.

****

**Chapter 5**

The days blended into one another, daylight hours under the scorching sun and freezing nights underneath the stars. She had no tent, only a sleeping bag, and staying out in the open like this prevented her from resting like she needed to. Vegetables and fruits kept her standing but it was not enough to really nourish her. She didn't know for how long she could resist like this.

Finally, after a few more days she encountered the small Lhazareen city of Kosrak and from there she knew she only needed to follow the dragon road to Port Yhos. Though she knew Meeren was closer, she preferred avoiding the slavers' cities.

She bought some supplies there and a horse but she didn't stop for long. She planned on boarding the first ship she found once she arrived in Port Yhos and sail for Volantis. She was hoping to find an old friend of her father Leydon there, someone who maybe knew what had happened to her mother.

Riding was definitely easier than walking but not less tiring. She stopped for another night under the stars, by her calculations no more than five days away from Port Yhos. That night she had a strange dream.

She dreamt she was flying above a beautiful but desolate city, with buildings made of a strange black stone and rivers of lava flowing through the streets among the buildings. And then, in the very centre of the city, she landed, in front of something that looked like a temple, with huge columns built in the shapes of snakes or dragons, or some kind of mixture of the two. The double doors were triple her height and just as wide, made of a strange, black glass and looking through them was like staring with open eyes above you while underwater. She was just about to open the door when she was violently woken up by something.

She got up in a second to look around her and shivered in fear. There were people all around her, not more than a hundred. Three men, the obvious leaders of the group, were richly dressed with colored fabrics and on top of horses. Behind them, stood various people dressed in rags with collars around their necks and heavy chains around their hands and feet, identical expression of despair painted on their faces. On each side of them, in rows of three and with spears on the ground, stood whom she recognized as Unsullied.

And finally, surrounding her on all sides and preventing her from escaping, there were ten more unsullied, spears aimed against her.

"Qilōni issi ao?" _(Who are you?)_ One of them, the man in the centre, asked her. He was fat, with grey, receding hair and a look of greed and lust on his face. In fact, the three men were all looking at her like she was some prized horse they desperately wanted to buy (and try for themselves).

It took a few seconds for her to understand the question, thanks to the translation spell in her necklace.

"Bisa ābra iksis brōztagon Alyssa." _(This woman is called Alyssa.)_ She answered in what she recognized as Valyrian. This translation spell was awesome. She had just learnt to speak and understand Valyrian in a few seconds.

"Se skoros issi ao doing kesīr?" _(And what are you doing here?)_ The man on the left asked her. This man was fat as well but with oily, black hair and a hooked noise that reminded her of Snape.

"Iksan jāre naejot Port Yhos. » _(I'm going to Port Yhos.)_

The three men exchanged a smirk before the one on the right said, with a voice of faked gentleness. "Iksi jāre konīr hae sȳrī. Ivestragī īlva urnēptre ao se ñuhoso." _(We are going there as well. Let us show you the way.)_

Aly was a person who, in most situations, followed her gut. And in that moment, her gut was telling her that she was in grave danger. These men were slavers, or, at the very least, rich men who owned slaves.

"Daor, kirimvose. Nyke ȳdra daor jaelagon naejot jenigon ao." _(No, thank you. I don't want to bother you.)_

"Ziry iksos daor jenigon." _(It's no bother.)_ The man on the right said.

"Ao sagon olvie sȳz yn iksan waiting syt ñuha kepa. Kessa sagon kesīr aderī." _(You're very kind but I'm waiting for my father. He'll be here soon.)_

"Iksan zūgagon īlon daor ivestragī ao henujagon. Iā Valyrīha gevives hae kostā sagon liortan rȳ iā eglie odre rȳ se buzdari tistālion." _(I'm afraid we cannot let you leave. A Valyrian beauty like you can be sold at a high price at the slave market.)_

Aly gritted her teeth in anger. They wanted to sell her? Aly looked at the people in rags, slaves all of them, and then at the three men, who had become this fat and rich at the expense of innocent people.

Fury filled every bone in her body, blinding in its intensity. She didn't become angry often but when she did, it was like a red, burning rage that didn't allow her to think. During the years she had gotten better at control it, thanks especially to the Dursleys. She couldn't allow herself the luxury of being angry when she was at the Dursleys so she had been forced more than once to control herself – with a few notable exceptions like what had happened to Marge Dursley before her third at Hogwarts.

Now that she knew who her parents really were, she wondered if this fury that she felt sometimes was due to her dragon blood.

And thinking about dragons, she really could use Moonarys' help now. She couldn't fight all these Unsullied on her own, especially since she didn't know if she had enough time to reach her sword that was still under her pillow.

Almost like in answer to her question she felt a presence in her mind, having become more and more familiar the more time passed. Before starting Hogwarts and then during the three years she had spent there – and the few months she had spent there this year – she had gotten used to her connection with Hedwig, like an invisible string that connected them together. This was different though, new but not less strong, and warm like fire but without burning her. It was Moonarys.

Her connection with the dragon had grown and now she could tell if Moonarys was close or not and Aly was now also able to call her to her if she realized that Moonarys was flying too far away.

She closed her eyes and screamed for help in her mind, hoping Moonarys would come. She heard the rich men laughing at her, thinking she was giving in to despair and fear, thinking she was about to cry and beg. Aly ignored them. Instead she waited, eyes closed and heart beating steadily.

She was Aly fucking Potter; she was a gryffindor; she was a dragon; she wouldn't be afraid.

One of the men ordered two Unsullied to grab her. Aly didn't move. As soon as one of them had grabbed her forearm, they all heard a great, loud roar. Immediately everyone fell to their knees except her, covering their ears and shaking with fear. Then a great shadow fell over their heads, obscuring the sun.

Aly raised her eyes to the sky and saw her. Moonarys, beautiful and pale as the moon. The dragon landed near her, her huge wings pushing the Unsullied soldiers away from her. The fat men fell from their horses.

" _Thank you, Moonarys_." She whispered to her. Then she turned towards the fat men and said, in a clear and loud voice. "Iksan daor iā buzdari. Daor vala iā ābra should sagon iā buzdari. Daorys tepagon ao se paktot naejot sindigon se lioragon toile. » (I'm not a slave. No man or woman should be a slave. No one gives you the right to buy and sell others.)

Aly looked at the slaves and the Unsullied then. "Iksā dāez vali se ābrar. Freedom iksis aōhon ondoso paktot. These oiro vali sylutan naejot gūrogon ziry qrīdrughagon hen ao yn pōnta kostagon daor. Daorys kostagon." (You are free men and women. Freedom is yours by right. These fat men tried to take it away from you but they can't. No one can.)

The slaves didn't speak. Instead they all looked down, too afraid to do anything.

The fat men laughed, though they still looked terrified at the sight of Moonarys. "Doru-borto riña. Issi daor vali se ābrar. Issi īlvon. Sepār hae ao se aōha zaldrīzes kessa aderī." (Stupid girl. They are not men and women. They are ours. Just like you and your dragon will soon.)

Aly glared at them. "Zaldrīzes buzdari iksos daor." (A dragon is not a slave.)

Moonarys roared at the fat men, a burst of fire passing a few centimeters above their heads. The slavers recoiled in fear.

"Yn pār ao pendagon these vali se ābrar issi aōhon, pār kesan sindigon zirȳ hen ao." (But since you think you own these men and women then I will buy them from you.) Aly continued.

The fat men looked at each other, uncertain but also fearful. They didn't dare oppose her now, not with Moonarys at her side.

"Kesan māzigon lēda ao naejot port yhos. Kesā ivestragī these vali se ābrar jikagon. Kesan tepagon ao iā bag hen āeksion se kesā gaomagon aōha ābrar. Kesā tepagon nyke iā lōgor se ivestragī nyke sagon va ñuha ñuhoso. Lo ao ȳdra daor mazōregon bisa, kesan tepagon ao naejot ñuha zaldrīzes." (I will come with you to Port Yhos. You will let these men and women go. I will give you a bag of gold and you will keep your life. You will give me a ship and let me be on my way. If you don't accept this, I will give you to my dragon.)

The fat men exchanged a few glances before finally nodding in assent. Aly took a small bag of golden coins from her bag and threw it at them. "Tepagon nyke se qilōny." (Give me the whip.) Aly ordered then.

She knew that the only way for the Unsullied to listen to her would be with the whip. She needed to convince them that they were free but it wouldn't work as long as they thought those fat men owned them.

The fat man in the middle passed her the whip. Aly took it in her hand and looked at it with disgust. Then she turned to the Unsullied and the slaves. "Syt tolī bōsa īlē ivestretan bona īlē daorun. Syt tolī bōsa pōnta vēttan ao feel hae īlē daorun. Dombo. Iksā dāez. Dāez naejot mazverdagon aōha own choices. Dāez naejot sagon qilōni jaelā naejot sagon. Naejot jikagon skoriot jaelā naejot jikagon. Aōha ābrar iksis aōhon se mērī aōhon. Gaomagon daor ivestragī tolie dīnagon ao isse belma mirre aril." (For too long you were told that you were nothing. For too long they made you feel like you were nothing. No more. You are free. Free to make your own choices. Free to be who you want to be. To go where you want to go. Your life is yours and only yours. Do not let others put you in chains ever again.)

The slaves and the unsullied looked at each other, looking both uncertain and hopeful. Then a young woman, a little older than her, said, "Īlon kirimvose syt helping īlva. Yn sesīr lo iksi dāez sir, tolie kessa dīnagon īlva isse belma arlī. Skorkydoso kostagon īlon keligon zirȳ?"( We thank you for helping us. But even if we are free now, others will put us in chains again. How can we stop them?)

Aly frowned, realizing the woman was right. "Pār kostā māzigon lēda nyke. Se nyke kivio ao, kesan daor rual zirȳ naejot dīnagon ao isse belma aril." (Then you can come with me. And I promise you, I will not allow them to put you in chains again.)

The slaves started to smile timidly. The unsullied, on the other hand, started to hit the ground with their spears. Then the woman who had spoken said, "Īlon kirimvose. Se īlon kivio naejot dohaeragon ao syt hae bōsa hae īlon glaesagon, ñuha dāria."(We thank you. And we promise to serve you for as long as we live, my Queen.)

"Iksan daor iā dāria. Iksan sepār Aly." (I'm not a queen. I'm just Aly.) "Se nyke ȳdra daor jaelagon ao naejot dohaeragon nyke. Iksan daor iā belmurtys." (And I don't want you to serve me. I'm not a slaver.)

"Hen rhinka daor, dāria aly. Yn ao jiōragotan īlva ruaragon sīr īlon jiōragon jemēla naejot ao. Lī qilōni kostagon vīlībagon kessa ivīlībagon ao. Se se tolie kessa dohaeragon ao isse se ways pōnta gīmigon" (Of course not, Queen Aly. But you offered us protection and, in exchange, we offer ourselves to you. Those who can fight will fight for you. And the others will serve you in the ways they know.)

"Skoros gaomas ziry nūmāzma, bona kesā dohaeragon nyke isse se ways ao gīmigon?" (What does it mean? That you will serve me in the ways you know?)

"Tolvie mēre hen īlva knows skorkydoso naejot gaomagon mirros. Nyke gīmigon skorkydoso naejot ñepegon. Īlen iā buzdari syt iā tradesman qilōni liortan grēze. Kesi gaomagon skoros kosti gaomagon naejot dohaeragon ao hae sȳrje hae kosti." (Every one of us knows how to do something. I know how to sew. I was a slave for a tradesman who sold clothes. We will use what we can do to serve you as best as we can.)

"Kesan mērī mazōregon lo kostan addemmagon ao syt aōha mirre. Konir sagon skoros iksis issare dāez. Bona ao mērī dohaeragon aōla." (I will only accept if I can pay you for your work. That is what it means being free. That you only serve yourself.)

The woman looked at the others. After a general consensus, the woman, who had become the spokesperson for all those people, replied. "Kirimvose, dāria Aly. Īlon mazōregon." (Thank you, Queen Aly. We accept.)

"Pār ivestragī's jikagon. Emi iā bōsa geralbar isse naejon hen īlva." (Then let's go. We have a long road in front of us.) Aly looked at the slavers then. "Emi naejot letagon zirȳ bē ēva īlon māzigon se oktion." (We hate to tie them up, at least until we reach the city.)

One of the unsullied immediately complied, looking like he was enjoying it greatly.

Once Aly was sure they couldn't escape, she nodded. She told the ex-slaves to take turns using the horses – hers included. She shared what supplies she could – food and water – though it wasn't much. She hoped someone among them knew how to hunt.

The sun was falling behind the horizon when they finally started to march towards Port Yhos. Aly tried to remember the names of all her new travel companions but she knew it would take a while. Still, there were five days until they would reach Port Yhos. She hoped she would learn them all by then.


End file.
